wonderful ideas!!

Serious rennies will want historical costuming stuff.  We can be a tough crowd, but we'll also drop a lot of money on the right item.  Costumy stuff needs to be, or at least look like, made from natural and historically correct items - leather rather than pleather, no big glued-on craft jewels, etc.

If you want to reach out to the more casual faire goers, I think you can't go wrong making something inexpensive and "blingy" for kids.  Parents will be busy telling their kids that they can't have $200 genuine steel swords, but they'll buy a $4 foam sword.  Little girls like princessy stuff.  A lot of the women will walk around all day in flower wreaths and regular clothes, just because you don't buy flower wreaths from street vendors in "the real world."

I always shop for fancy scented soaps.  Some of the gourmet shops do great - candies, preserves, etc. - by setting out samples.  The soap shop I like best even has samples!  They put small soap pieces in a big basket, and I woman stands out front and yells, "Get your soap sample!"  It's weird in that you can't really "sample" it right away, but it smells nice and gives you a first-hand look at their quality and hopefully lures you in.

I would urge you to be playful as a seller.  Make eye contact, smile a lot, don't be afraid to talk loud, and say, "Good day, m'lord" and "Good day, m'lady."  Faires are incredibly fun when everyone is playing and incredibly awkward when some people won't play/interact.

And if you learn to make authentic 16th century handfans, please PM me - I'm redoing my garb (costume) and am in the market for a fan!   

If you use Rhinestones or crystals the way to go is this:

they fit together because of their shape, so lay a bunch out on your worktable the way you'd want them to be on your pen. A grid of 3x6 is usually good. Take a piece of scotch or masking tape and place that over the top. Now, all your beads are stuck to the tape in the shap you want!Stick some E6000 to the back of the gems and wrap the tape around the sharpie. Make sure all the beads are stuck good, and remove the tape.

I used this method to bling a pair of flip flops last summer and they're still goin' strong

*writer78 stands with mouth hanging open*  You're brilliant, kid!  you know that?  brilliant!     THANKS, and I shall try it!!

A few questions:

-did you do anything to prepare the bottlecaps before painting on them?
-what kind of paints did you use?
-did you use any kind of sealer afterward?

Stretching your own mini canvas was a stroke of genius.  hats off to you.

*greed mode*  I want it!  I want it!   

*writer78's head explodes*

I am CRAZY for tiny crafts.  With this many stunningly perfect little things, I can't figure out which crafter to chase down and swap with/buy from first!!  (Let alone, figuring out which to vote for!)

*weeps frantically*  All of these mini items are putting my craft-desire into overdrive!!  MUST-HAVE-MINI-JOURNAL!!!!

As a fellow painter, I am weeping with envy over your skills.

OK: experiment #1 bombed.  I tried using E6000 and wrapping it in ribbon.  It looked lumpy, and the cap wouldn't go on the end.   

hi, sweet cousin MyrnaLoy - I think you're right: bling is the way to go.  just HOW do I make it look good??  *writer78's lameness in this area knows no bounds*

Um, could you and your husband adopt me?     Ok, yeah, you and I are the same age.  But I just HAVE to be in close proximity to the makers of the coolest tiny food item I have ever seen!!